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What LOAD "*",8,1 means - The Silicon Underground

The Commodore 64 command LOAD "*",8,1 was used to load games. If you want to know what the command means, read on for details.

[microminutes]

Dr Warhol’s Periodic Table of Microbes, The Small Guide to Small Things

84.  Po.  Porphyromonas

If you are fans of The Simpsons, you know that Lisa’s favorite saxophonist was Bleeding Gums Murphy. If you know biology, you know that bleeding gums can be a symptom of severe gingivitis (at least a dozen other diseases, too, but gingivitis is number 1). Now guess the name of the major cause of gingivitis and periodontal disease: Porphyromonas. Wow, we just linked a long-running cartoon with microbiology and periodontal disease. You’ll never forget that.

There are around 20 species of Porphyromonas, with pleasant-sounding names that reflect the nasty tooth- and mouth diseases they cause, such as: gingivalis, gingivicanis, endodontalis, and circumdentaria.

Like all specialized pathogens, the Porphyromonas are equipped with virulence factors, including a polysaccharide capsule that either enhances or diminishes the host response (depending on who’s papers you read), fimbriae (long, short, and accessory) for attachment to host cell surfaces, and lipopolysaccharide for the usual nefarious purposes. Plus, they not only attach to host epithelial cells, they actively invade and replicate within them.  Even cooler, most pathogens like to party alone and wreak havoc with armies of identical microbes (like a Staph infection or Strep throat), but Porphyromonas are adept at recruiting other organisms to engage in an orgy of mouth-rotting decadence known as a polymicrobial infection. They actually change the whole microflora of the mouth.

But getting back to virulence factors, a favorite is gingipain, which is spelled like what Ron Weasley would feel if he stubbed his toe, but is pronounced like what you’d say if Ron Weasley was paying for dinner. Gingipain(s) is a protease secreted by Porphyromonas gingivalis that degrade cytokines, antibodies, albumin, and transferrin, and are needed for invasion, adhesion, and tissue damage.

Porphyromonas cells are Gram negative rods that have been called coccobacilliary or pleomorphic that measure about 0.5 microns wide by 1 to 2 microns long.

Get your own Periodic Table at https://www.etsy.com/no-en/shop/WarholScience.

Copyright 2017 Warhol

[vintagegeekculture]

Harry Blackstone, Jr., aka “the Great Blackstone.” He was an interesting pop culture figure who had his own Choose-Your-Own-Adventure series.

[doodlingleluke]

some ds9 doodles

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[romkids]

A few months back Marianne Mader and I had the tremendous opportunity to meet and interview Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen. 

The most interesting thing about the guy is that he’s a real person- likes the X-Files, thinks the best Star Was is Empire Strikes back. Humorously he mentioned how he was waiting for the day in his training where the senior officials sit him down and have the “aliens talk” but it hasn’t happened yet. 

Co-CSA astronaut David Saint-Jacques was recently selected to go to space in 2018. Jeremy will likely go somewhere in the early to mid 2020s.

Written by @kironcmukherjee. Last update: January 23rd, 2017.

[sepulchritude]

my fav trope is like, nonhuman characters not understanding human needs/customs but still being super supportive of their human companion

“look what I found while exploring this planet’s surface!” “kilrak please I’m trying to sleep” “ah yes your human circadian rhythm. *stage whispering* I am supposed to be quiet during this time in your rhythm, yes?”

“the book I purchased on ragnok V says humans require physical touch when upset. therefore, I shall engage in a ‘hug’ with you.” *supremely awkward five-armed hug ensues*

*human sneezes* “OH MY GOD SIL'EEN GET THE MEDIC OUR HUMAN IS DYING”

“this pamphlet I received recently says that humans require companions and packmates in the form of small earth creatures. you should have told me this before we departed earth, but it is no worry. we will have to stop at the next trade planet to get you one of these ‘cats’ or ‘dogs’.”

[agentquinn]

imagine the aliens really purchasing a kitten for one of their rough and world-weary scifi badass human companions and watching in helpless wonderment what ensues 

“she’s been cuddling that small animal for the past fifteen minutes just going ‘kitty, kitty’. did we - did we break our human?”

a more seasoned alien puts one of their tentacles around the younger one as the rest of the team gathers to watch their human make kissy noises. 

“no, kilrak,” the alien says. “we did good.” 

[frowningfoxbones]

“Human-Steve! I have heard that today is the anniversary of your hatching! According to my human culture pamphlet, it is customary to set a sugary pastry on fire while chanting your species’ growth incantation and presenting sacrifices wrapped in shiny paper. I am afraid to ask, in case this ritual is sacred and this request therefor insensitive… but may I be allowed to participate? It sounds much more fascinating than molting.”

[anexperimentallife]

“Human Steve, I have read about your ritual dance called ‘The Hokey Pokey,’ performed mostly at mate-bonding celebrations after the guests reach an elevated level of intoxication. But Human Steve, how do I know WHICH left foot to put in, put out, and shake all about? I do not… Human Steve, why are you laughing?”

[captainarwenpond221b]

“Human-Steve, you are… you are eating, but it is not one of your ritual fueling times. Are you dying? Is everything alright? Have you not been receiving enough sustenance? Do I need to get you better things to eat? Human-Steve, why are you trying to hide that food?”

[rinneavicula]

“Human-Steve, my research has informed me of a grave oversight in your care that I, as your companion, have made! Thus, I have gathered collections of fictional human literature to read aloud at the time of your bed. Which is more to your liking: “The Care and Keeping of Cacti” or “1001 Crossword Puzzles?” Human-Steve? Human-Steve, I am serious.“

[himchankimchije]

One of the things I love the most about this post is how “Human-Steve” makes me think that there is also an alien called Steve in the squad, and I just imagine the first meeting and introduction where there is the human guy introducing himself as Steve and then there is this huge blue guy with like 5 legs and bug eyes and apparently Steve is like a completely regular name on his planet too in some intergalactical coincidence

that was off topic sorry.

[fuckyeahfluiddynamics]

A water droplet deposited on a cold surface freezes from the bottom up. As anyone who has made ice cubes knows, water expands when it freezes. But watch the outline of the drop carefully. The drop isn’t expanding radially outward while it freezes. Instead the remaining liquid part of the drop forms what’s known as a spherical cap, a shape like the sliced-off top of a sphere. Surface tension creates that spherical shape, but the water still has to expand when it freezes. The result? The last bit of the drop freezes into a point! This means that surface tension maintains the drop’s spherical shape, for the most part, and all the expansion the water does takes place vertically. (Video credit: D. Lohse et al.)